Category Archives: Cancer

Introduction I recently received a question from Bill, “I would also like to know what the purported mechanism for low sodium and low cancer is?” Let me first preface this question with my original blog that precipitated the question. Dr. Jansson sent me this in his unpublished book manuscript on May 10, 1997 (Found here: //101diets.info/a-rare-and-never-before-published-book-chapter-concerning-salt-and-cancer/). Accordingly, the information in his book is now more than 20 years old and unfortunately, Dr. Jansson died on May 23, 1998. Dr. Jansson’s book runs about 300 pages in length, is hand typed, double spaced, and contains the following 10 Chapters: 1.…

When I was in the middle of my academic career during the mid to late 1990’s (I retired from Colorado State University in December 2013,) I had the great pleasure of corresponding with Birger Jansson, Ph.D. at the University of Texas, M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas. Dr. Jansson was a Professor in the Department of Biomathematics at the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center and worked as a biomathematician for the National Large Bowel Cancer Project (NLBCP) between 1973 and 1983 when President Nixon launched his war against cancer in the early 1970s. Birger was known internationally for his brilliant…

As you probably already heard, earlier this week the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), which is the World Health Organization’s (WHO) cancer agency, categorized processed meat as “carcinogenic” and unprocessed red meat as “probably carcinogenic.”1 What you might not have heard is that in an accompanying Q&A document, the IARC also said, “Eating meat has known health benefits.”2 Those who read the IARC’s statement and its Q&A document are likely to conclude that this story is nowhere near as dramatic and consequential as headlines from The Guardian, The New York Times, and other news outlets have implied: “Processed…

Last week, The New York Times published an op-ed by Roger Cohen, its International Affairs and Diplomacy correspondent, regarding…wait for it – gluten!1 Has gluten become the nefarious “sticking point” that underlies our most critical diplomatic issues? Or was this just another of Cohen’s haughty rants against people who purchase organic food, implement health-optimizing diets, and keep abreast of nutrition science research? Spoiler alert – it’s the latter. The gist of Cohen’s latest article, “This Column is Gluten-Free,” is that wheat has gotten a bad rap, despite graciously feeding the world for the past 12,000 years. Cohen acknowledges that gluten…

Symptoms of vitamin E deficiency are rare, but according to at least four national surveys, most Americans consume less than the government’s Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) of this essential nutrient.1 The authors of an August 2015 study published in PLOS-One call vitamin E a “shortfall nutrient” because over 90% of Americans consume insufficient quantities and because low vitamin E status has been linked to multiple health consequences, including increased total mortality.2 Vitamin E is clearly important, but can the Paleo diet provide adequate levels? After all, some of the most frequently cited “best dietary sources” aren’t Paleo compliant. Are supplements…

Click Here to Start The Wheat Series from the Beginning! It’s one of the most commonly used analogies in existence and it’s about a game that few want to play. A revolver is loaded with a single bullet. The hapless players take turns putting the gun to their heads and pulling the trigger. The analogy is often used to make a point about the high stakes of luck. Eventually someone gets a loaded chamber and pays the ultimate price. There is a second side to the analogy, however that is frequently overlooked. Regardless of whether you have extremely good or…

INTRODUCTION Some of the most well recognized names in the “Paleosphere” surprisingly maintain few professional, academic, or even experiential credentials which would qualify them as scientists, researchers or even lay experts in the discipline. These self proclaimed, charismatic authorities have influenced and continue to influence hundreds of thousands of people based upon nothing more than their untested subjective opinions and limited understanding of the scientific, peer review literature. Most have never been trained in the research process, few maintain anything more than a bare bones understanding of the scientific method and don’t have even the slightest inkling of the statistical…

With all the nonsense we see these days in the media, it would be easy to misunderstand one of the fundamental principles of a real Paleo diet: it’s a balanced way of eating. Contrary to popular belief, it is not a regime focused on eating only meat, all day long. In The Paleo Diet,1 Dr. Cordain explains that a true hunter-gatherer diet is comprised of a macronutrient balance as follows: Pro 19-35%, Cho 22-40%, Fat 28-47% How do you like them apples? And while a crisp, green apple is a great way to sneak some low glycemic fruit2 into the…

For Paleo dieters who want fresh food that’s free of contaminants, making the right choice is hard. There has been a huge trend toward purchasing organic produce, which is believed to contain no pesticides, unlike conventional produce.1 When people hear the word organic, they picture a product created through methods that support soil and water conservation and decrease pollution.2 In actuality, organic produce does not necessarily mean chemical-free.3 Furthermore, the use of natural pesticides by organic farmers is controversial, as they can be toxic.4 Recently, there has been a rise in farmers’ use of a weed-killer known as glyphosphate or…

At the core of healthy living and Paleo lies the movement against refined carbohydrates. In addition to the risk of excess weight gain, many already know that it leads to further known health complications such as poor cardiovascular health, and diabetes. Adherence to the right nutrition is associated with not only promoting good physical well-being, but mental health as well. A recent study conducted at Columbia University was published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition showed consuming a diet full of refined carbohydrates such as white bread and pasta increases an individual’s risk of depression.1 On the flip side,…

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